Maintaining a fleet of vehicles is no easy task, but with the advent of mobile notifications and service reminders, fleet managers can now ensure that their vehicles operate efficiently and effectively while reducing downtime and costly repairs.
Keeping track of maintenance schedules and service records is crucial to ensuring that your fleet stays in working order, but when you’re trying to balance all those timelines and specifications in your own head, or even on paper, you’re bound to run into some issues that can result in delays, costly repairs and downtime. Traditionally, fleet managers have had to rely on paper schedules and manual reminders to stay on top of maintenance, but with the mobile notifications and service reminders provided by modern fleet management solutions like Fleetio, fleet managers can now better manage their maintenance processes without the same granularity called for by more manual methods.
Being able to link fleet management to a mobile platform can revolutionize the way fleet managers approach maintenance, making it easier to manage maintenance schedules, service reminders, and repair history, all from their phones. While some might be a little wary of keeping their work so present on a device that has probably already inserted itself into so many other parts of their life, there are a few reasons why using phone-based notifications can be a far more effective method for managing maintenance timelines.
How are phone notifications generally better at keeping people on track than other methods?
-
Personalization: Phone notifications can be customized to fit the specific needs of the individual, allowing them to set reminders for specific tasks, deadlines, or appointments. For fleet managers, that means you can set reminders for anything you need direct visibility on, and silence anything that doesn’t necessarily pertain to you.
-
Accessibility: People tend to carry their phones with them everywhere they go, making notifications easily accessible. Unlike other methods such as email or paper reminders, phone notifications can be instantly seen and responded to, reducing the likelihood of missed tasks or deadlines.
-
Timeliness: Phone notifications can be set to send reminders at specific times, such as three days before service is required. That means you’ll never be caught off guard by service, and can schedule in plenty of lead time for downtime, as well as receive other notifications closer to the time of service if you need a couple extra brain bumps.
-
Motivation: Phone notifications can also serve as a motivator for fleet managers and technicians to stay on task with their preventive maintenance plan, despite whatever may be going on day-to-day. Seeing alerts from a service reminder app can act as a visual cue to keep your focus on the things that matter, which can help fleets achieve their organizational goals for things like on-time completion or general compliance.
Get automated service reminders with Fleetio
Start a free trial
So how does that translate to fleet management software?
Real-Time Alerts and Reminders
One of the biggest advantages of mobile notifications and vehicle service reminders is that they provide real-time alerts and reminders. With paper schedules, fleet managers would have to manually check each vehicle’s maintenance schedule, and if they missed something, it could result in costly repairs and downtime. Mobile notifications and service reminders eliminate this problem by providing real-time alerts and reminders for upcoming maintenance and service appointments. Fleet managers can set up alerts and reminders for specific dates or intervals, and they will receive a notification when it is time for the service appointment.
Improved Communication and Collaboration
Mobile notifications and service reminders also improve collaboration among fleet managers and maintenance staff by streamlining the means of communication around maintenance. Forgoing the paper trail and phone tag of manual management, reminders from fleet software make it easy to update maintenance schedules or service appointments and communicate these changes to technicians in real-time, meaning everyone is on the same page when it comes to maintenance and service.
Automated Record-Keeping
When fleet managers don’t have to manually keep track of maintenance schedules, service reminders, and repair history for each vehicle, they get to save time and avoid errors and omissions. Mobile notifications and service reminders can automate record-keeping for all important fleet information, and storing that information in a central dashboard that is easily accessible to anyone who may need it. This ensures that fleet managers have accurate and up-to-date records for each vehicle, which can be used for analysis and reporting.
Customization and Flexibility
With paper schedules, fleet managers would have to manually create itineraries and reminders for each vehicle, which can be time-consuming and inflexible. Taking a mobile approach allows fleet managers to set up schedules and reminders for specific makes and models, or for specific types of maintenance or service appointments, which means they can tailor their maintenance schedules and service reminders to their fleet’s needs, improving efficiency and avoiding reactive fleet management.
Want an easier way to stay on top of your preventive maintenance? Get a free trial or request a demo today.
